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lynda.com Buys Multi-Language Online Training Company

By Dian Schaffhauser

02/19/13

Online training company lynda.com has expanded its line-up of videos in other languages with the purchase of video2brain, a European company with a team in the United States that provides online video training in German, French, Spanish, and English. Although the purchase price wasn't made public, this is the first possible public use of a new source of funding lynda.com obtained through an earlier $103 million growth equity investment.

The two companies follow a similar business model--charging for online training, much of it covering the same ground--3D and CAD, development, video and audio, business, and design. Two differences, however, are that video2brain also offers its lessons in other languages and provides project files for lessons so that the student can work along with the instructor as the training progresses.

"This acquisition is an investment in our future as we see a huge growth opportunity in new and emerging markets that demand multi-lingual educational content," said Eric Robison, lynda.com president and CEO. "We have long envisioned the company providing content in multiple languages. The two options were to organically grow that capability from scratch, or find a company aligned with our culture and business model. What video2brain has built in 11 years is impressive and we are fortunate to welcome their employees, members, partners, and authors to lynda.com."

"Since I founded the company, our mission and passion has been to create a great worldwide learning experience," said Gerhard Koren, who founded video2brain and will remain with lynda.com as a strategic advisor for international markets.

video2brain has 400,000 subscribers and a library of 1,700 video courses. It was started in 2002. lynda.com has produced 87,000 videos since its founding in 1995.

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at dian@dischaffhauser.com.